HSBC Championships 2026: Arthur Fery secures first win at Queen’s after beating fellow Brit Toby Samuel
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An all-British clash between two rising British stars saw Arthur Fery come out on top against Toby Samuel to seal his first win at the HSBC Championships.
Fery produced an impressive display to beat compatriot, and friend, Samuel 6-0, 6-2 in front of a packed crowd on Court 1, in what was both players’ debut at The Queen’s Club.
Despite being familiar with each other’s games from their junior days, the match marked a first meeting between the pair at an ATP Tour level.
Fery was rock solid on serve throughout, winning 78% of service points (31/40), and capitalised on his opportunities to convert five of 15 break points as he wrapped up victory in just over an hour.
“I was really happy with how I played”, Fery reflected following his win. “It’s obviously never easy playing a Brit and someone you know but I was happy with how I handled the match.”
It was a memorable day for Fery and Samuel, who spent their junior years competing both against and alongside each other.
A debut appearance in the main draw of the ATP 500 event at The Queen’s Club marked a significant milestone in itself, but the occasion was made even more special as both players were also awarded main draw wild cards for The Championships, Wimbledon in just a couple of weeks’ time.
The reward comes off the back of some encouraging results for both players. Fery fired up his 2026 season by qualifying for the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open, where he recorded an impressive win over seeded player and Roland Garros semi-finalist Flavio Cobolli.
The 24-year-old has continued to build momentum in recent months, reaching the semi-finals at the Lexus Birmingham Open ahead of his arrival in West London.
“I heard about it (the wild card) this morning,” Fery added on receiving the wild card. “It’s great news - I’m really appreciative of the All England Club and the LTA for all the support. I’m really looking forward to playing Wimbledon again in the next few weeks, it’s going to be great.”
For Samuel, it will mark his Wimbledon debut and second Grand Slam main draw appearance following a breakthrough year on the ATP Challenger Tour.
The 23-year-old has claimed two Challenger titles in Hersonissos - adding to the two he picked up in the back end of last year - and more recently made headlines by coming through qualifying to reach the main draw at Roland Garros for the first time. There, he set up a first round meeting against eighth seed Alex de Minaur, where he missed on clinching his first win at a major.
Despite his defeat to compatriot Fery at Queen’s, Samuel will make his way to SW19 where he’ll be looking to cherish every moment of the opportunity.
“Yeah, I mean, it's super exciting,” Samuel said, on receiving a Wimbledon main draw wild card. “It's a lot of firsts for me this summer. I'm just going to try and compete as best I can for Wimbledon. And I'm super grateful for the opportunity and I'm going to try and give it my best shot.”
For Fery, he’ll go on to take on Adrian Mannarino in the second round of the HSBC Championships after the Frenchman upset third seed and Roland Garros semi-finalist Jakub Mensik on day two at The Queen’s Club.
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